LOGIN“We will carry out the ritual at midnight,” Iris said, her voice carrying an eerie calm despite the weight of what they were about to attempt. “If the moon goddess accepts it, Nolan will wake.”Gianna’s stomach dropped at the word. “If? After everything I’ve gone through, after everything I’ve sacrificed and endured, it’s still just a possibility?”“Calm yourself,” Iris said gently, reaching out to touch Gianna’s arm, her fingers cool and solid against her skin in a way that felt more real than any of their previous encounters. “I would have let you perform the ritual alone if there was no other way. But I came here myself, to stand beside you, so the moon goddess might look more favorably upon this offering. Two voices calling out together carry more weight than one calling alone.”Gianna felt some of the tension drain from her shoulders at that, though the fear didn’t fully dissipate. She nodded, forcing herself to accept that this was the best chance they had, the only chance remai
“Ask your father,” Iris said, her voice carrying a weight that made the words feel heavier than they should have. “The truth. Only the truth from him can save you now.”Gianna felt something cold settle over her, a dread that ran deeper than the panic already coursing through her veins. “What truth? He already told me everything he knows. He told me about the woman at the border, the one they executed. He told me that’s who the blood belonged to.”“He told you what he wanted you to hear,” Iris said quietly. “There is more, Gianna. More than he has shared with you. You have until midnight to uncover it.”The connection faded before Gianna could demand further explanation, before she could beg Iris to simply tell her outright rather than sending her chasing after riddles with so little time remaining. She stood frozen for a moment, the necklace still clutched in her trembling hand, and then something inside her finally broke entirely.She screamed, hurling the necklace across the room,
Cyrus's demand was outrageous, a request for land and titles and privileges far beyond anything Gianna was willing or able to grant, especially not for a man who had caused her family so much pain already. She refused outright, and when he simply crossed his arms and repeated his terms with infuriating calm, something inside her snapped entirely.She gave the order without hesitation, and the guards moved swiftly, restraining Cyrus and applying whatever pressure necessary to loosen his tongue. It didn't take long. Within the hour, he was gasping out an address, a small cottage on the outskirts of Valemont where he claimed Pietra had fled after taking the plant.They rode there immediately, and sure enough, they found Pietra hiding inside, terror written across her face the moment the guards burst through the door."Please," Pietra sobbed as they dragged her forward, the stolen Heartbloom plant clutched protectively against her chest, its crimson petals somehow still intact despite eve
Just when she'd thought everything was finally within reach, the ground stared back at her empty, mocking her with the disturbed earth where hope had briefly bloomed. Four days. Only four days remained, and now she was back to searching for something she'd already found once before.Gianna felt fury building inside her chest, hot and consuming, threatening to burn through whatever remained of her composure.She ordered every servant in the palace assembled in the main courtyard within the hour, standing before them with her arms crossed, her eyes moving across each face, searching for any flicker of guilt, any sign of nervousness that might betray the culprit."Someone uprooted a plant from my private garden," she said, her voice carrying clearly across the gathered crowd. "I want to know who did it. Now."Silence met her demand. No one stepped forward. No one so much as shifted uncomfortably beneath her scrutiny in a way that suggested guilt. She studied them one by one, servants who
Three days passed with the healer locked away in the dungeon, and still she refused to speak. Gianna visited her twice a day, standing before the cold iron bars, demanding to know where the jar was hidden, but the healer only stared back at her with cold, defiant silence, her jaw set in stubborn refusal no matter how Gianna pleaded or threatened.By the third day, frustration had curdled into something sharper, more desperate. Four days remained, and every hour wasted meant less time to complete the ritual Iris had described, less time to bring Nolan back before whatever window of opportunity his selfless choice had earned him closed forever.“She won’t break,” Gianna said, pacing the length of the dungeon corridor after another failed attempt to extract information. “I don’t know what else to do, Elmund. We’ve threatened her, we’ve kept her locked away, and she still refuses to tell us anything.”Elmund’s expression was grim, thoughtful, as though he’d been turning something over in
Elmund noticed the color drain from her face immediately, and his expression softened with understanding.“You don’t have to come with me,” he said gently. “I’ll get the book myself.”“No,” Gianna said quickly, shaking her head despite the fear still churning inside her. “I should be there. This is my responsibility.”“Gianna,” Elmund said firmly, “you nearly died four days ago. You are still recovering, and you are still carrying a child that needs you healthy and safe. I will get the book. You need to rest.”She wanted to argue, wanted to insist that she couldn’t simply sit by while others took on the risks meant to be hers to bear. But exhaustion pulled at her more heavily than she wanted to admit, and some part of her recognized the wisdom in his words, however reluctant she was to accept it.“Please be careful,” she said finally.“I will,” he promised.She retreated to the chamber and lay down beside Nolan, intending only to rest for a short while, but exhaustion claimed her more
Chapter FourCyrus and Pietra said goodbye at the door for four full minutes.Gianna watched from inside the carriage through the small window, arms crossed, expression blank.Pietra had both of Cyrus's hands in hers. She was looking up at him saying something – Gianna couldn't hear it and honestl
Chapter ThreeGetting out of bed took longer than it should have.Evelyn hovered the entire time – hands half-raised, ready to catch her – while Gianna moved carefully, testing each step like she was walking on ice. The lump on her skull had softened slightly overnight but the unpleasant headache
Chapter TwoShe was having the best dream of her life.She didn't know what it was about – just that it was warm, and she was laughing, and nothing hurt.Then she felt eyes on her.Gianna's eyes snapped open.A man was sitting in the chair right beside her bed, close enough that she could see the i
Chapter OneThe gates swung open at dusk. Gianna heard the patrol return before she saw it – boots on gravel, wolves shifting back to skin, the familiar chaos of Valemont's warriors coming home.She was standing on the upper terrace with a glass of wine when she saw Cyrus walk through the main ga







